Crunchy, juicy, and sweet.  Are we describing a vegetable?  Yes!  Sugar snap peas are among my kids' utmost favorite vegetables.  They're delicious right out of the bag, but we sometimes stir-fry them in sesame oil for just a couple of minutes.  The less you do to them, the better, to let their crunchy sweet taste shine.

Sugar snap peas are a cool weather crop, perfectly suited for our tiny garden in San Francisco.  They grow spectacularly fast, making them fun for kids to watch, and they can be eaten whole, pods and all.  My kids have been picking them right off the vine and crunching away like madmen.  Half the harvest is eaten before we get inside the house.

If you're short on space and sun like we are, sugar snap peas are a great vegetable to grow.  They produce quite bountifully, so you'll get quite a few peas even if grown in a pot.  Unlike our meager strawberry patch, which produces a single ripe strawberry every few days, which we dutifully split 4-ways so all family members can have a taste.  Sugar snap peas are much more generous to us.

Trader Joe's sells sugar snap peas in a convenient microwaveable pouch.  You can eat them raw with dips such as hummus, spinach dip, or yogurt dip.  You can microwave in the bag and serve as a nutritious side dish to any entree.  Lightly stir-fry them as in our Gyoza Salad.  Here we make the peas glisten with just a smidge of nutty sesame oil.  A quick burst of heat enhances their naturally sweet flavor and vibrant color.  Do not overcook.

Sesame Toasted Sugar Snap Peas Recipe

1 (12-oz) bag Sugar Snap Peas or snow peas
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup water
1 tsp sesame seeds

1. Heat skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
2. Mix peas and sesame oil in a mixing bowl until evenly coated.
3. Toss peas into skillet.  Add water and quickly stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until water evaporates and peas are bright green and still crisp.
4. Remove from heat and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Prep and cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 4